In some types of electronic equipment used for interconnecting purposes, a plurality of electrical contact pins are inserted into apertures of a support, such as a wiring board, in rows or arrays to form an assembly. It is important that the pins be inserted into the apertures of the board to a uniform depth and in a uniform orientation. Uniform insertion of the contact pins is of particular importance in applications where portions of the inserted pins extend from the surface of the board for subsequent connection with other electrical devices, for example, such as mating connectors or plugs.
Occasionally, one or more of the plurality of pins which have been inserted into the apertures of the board, and which are referred to as in-board pins, may be defective or become damaged and hence must be extracted and replaced with new replacement pins. Frequently, however, there are no other structures other than the in-board pins in the area of the defective or damaged pin. Difficulty then arises in inserting each replacement pin into the board in such a manner that the inserted replacement pin conforms to the uniform depth and orientation of the in-board pins.
One tool heretofore proposed for inserting an electrical contact replacement pin in a wiring board utilizing an electrical housing on the wiring board as a guide, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,101 which issued to James Ray Coller. In this patent, a plurality of pins are mounted side-by-side into a row of apertures of a wiring board. Each pin includes an intermediate compliant section, a shank extending longitudinally from one end of the compliant section to define one end of the pin, and flattened planar shoulder portions integrally formed with the other end of the compliant section to define an opposite end of the pin. The shoulder portions of the in-board pins extend from one side of the board in planar alignment with one another. The electrical housing is secured to the board with a vertical face of the housing positioned adjacent and parallel to the planar shoulder portions of the in-board pins.
The insertion tool in the Coller patent is of essential rigid one-piece construction and has an elongated rectangular slot at a lower end thereof. The slot receives the shoulder portion of a replacement pin and also receives the shoulder portions of two or more in-board pins on respective opposite sides of the replacement pin during a pin insertion operation.
In preparation to insert the replacement pin into a vacant aperture of the wiring board utilizing the Coller patent, the insertion tool is positioned in engagement with the vertical face of the electrical housing as the shoulder of the replacement pin is received in the slot. The lower end of the tool is initially spaced from surface of the wiring board. When the tool is thus positioned in engagement with the housing, the slot in the lower end of the tool lies in the plane of the shoulder portions of the in-board pins for receiving the shoulder portions of two or more of the above-mentioned in-board pins immediately adjacent to the vacant aperture. The insertion tool then is moved toward the wiring board while slidably engaging the vertical face of the housing until the lower end of the tool engages the board, thereby inserting the replacement pin into a vacant aperture of the board. The housing serves as a guide for insertion tool during the insertion process to maintain the proper orientation of the tool with respect to the board.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,087,235 to J. M. Porter discloses a tool for disengaging terminal leads from a channel or aperture of a connector. The tool includes an outer portion which has an alignment member at one end positionable at a given orientation within portions of the channel of the connector. The tool also includes a cylindrical plunger mounted for axial movement within the outer portion which is used to push the terminal leads out of an opposite end of the connector channel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,210,836 to B. J. Johanson discloses a retaining tool for gripping or retaining an electrical component. A plunger having resilient legs for gripping the component is mounted for longitudinal movement within an outer sleeve. The plunger is spring biased to a normal position wherein a tapered enlarged head of the resilient legs is seated against an open end of the outer sleeve, forcing the resilient legs in a normally closed or gripping position. As the plunger is moved longitudinally forward, the enlarged head is unseated from the outer sleeve and is expandable to receive the electrical component therebetween. When the plunger is returned to its normal position, the component is gripped within the enlarged head.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,755 to C. T. Carter discloses an impacting tool for removing electrical contact elements from connectors on circuit boards. The tool is lowered to the connector or circuit board to receive within an outer sleeve portions of a pin extending from the board. A plunger mounted for axial movement within the sleeve imparts an impacting force on the pin to extract the pin from the board.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,234 to R. M. Bogursky teaches a tool for inserting and testing the insertion of a contact pin into a supporting structure. A pair of manually-operable, spring-biased fingers of the tool grips the pin prior to insertion of the pin into an assembly device. After insertion of the pin, and prior to withdrawal of the tool, a test is conducted to insure proper seating of the pin in the supporting structure.